Holiday Cooking

Buttermilk Aebleskivers are a Danish treat, a cross between a pancake and donut without the deep frying! We love to make Buttermilk Aebleskivers on Christmas morning and eat them plain, filled with a little jam or chocolate and sprinkle with powdered sugar. A few years ago, my friend Jill hosted a gathering for the young… Read More

Chocolate Peppermint Cookies are the perfect blend of a gooey dark chocolate-chocolate chip cookie, a drizzle of creamy icing, topped with crushed candy cane. This cookie tastes like Christmas in every bite! shoes and cookies. you can never have too many! I’m pretty sure you can never have too many cookie recipes around the holidays…. Read More

Cheese Balls. THE classic American party appetizer! Cheeseballs are popular for so many occasions and are so easy to make. Once you learn how to make a cheeseball at home, you’ll never want to eat store bought again. This post includes three easy cheese ball recipes your family will love! Cheese Ball in 15 minutes… Read More

Peanut Butter Balls. They are round peanut-butter-nutty-chocolate wonders that have been in the Lauder-Foster family for 4 generations. Peanut Butter Balls are similar to the popular homemade confection called Buckeye Balls, but these are completely dipped in chocolate and then rolled in chopped nuts. Family history and peanut butter balls… I was first introduced to… Read More

Looking for a gluten-free treat to serve this holiday season? Look no further! These Gluten-Free Sugar Cookies are soft, sweet, easy to make, and everything you want in a holiday cookie. Nancy’s gluten free sugar cookies I’m often asked if I can share recipes on ABK that are gluten free, because not everyone can enjoy… Read More

Ginger cookies are the definition of Christmastime! One bite of these giant ginger cookies and you will be transported to a world of Christmas trees, gift giving, holiday music, and cups of hot cocoa. I love making a batch of these chewy cookies and filling my entire home with the smell of sugar and ginger!… Read More

Instant Pot Mashed Sweet Potatoes with Candied Pecans is the perfect seasonal side dish to serve at your holiday gatherings! Quick, easy, rich in flavor, and topped with a bit of sweet crunchiness, you can have this dish ready in half the time as the traditional version. … Read More

Growing up I loved creamed corn from a can! This recipe for Creamed Corn with Cheese and Parsley is a fresh, updated version of the classic dish everyone loves. It’s creamy, cheesy, and brings a little color to the table. Who doesn’t love a dish with buttery sweet corn? One of the things I love… Read More

Perfect for any occasion, these Overnight Refrigerator Rolls can be made ahead and chilled in the fridge until the day of serving. They’re soft, fluffy, absolutely irresistible, and are perfect for anything from holidays to Sunday dinners. Overnight Rolls for the win If you know me, you know Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. It’s a… Read More

Hosting Thanksgiving dinner is manageable if you use ABK’s guide to plan and carry out this otherwise overwhelming task! How to Host Thanksgiving Dinner is an easy to follow, step-by-step recipe guide that will make you look like a pro in the kitchen! WHAT. It’s your turn to host Thanksgiving dinner? And you’ve never cooked… Read More

Halloween Dinner was a fun tradition while our kids were growing up! Soup was always on the menu before heading out the door to trick or treat. This spooky Halloween dinner is easy to put together, with no need to purchase extra decorations- just gather items already in your closet and home! I’ve included instructions… Read More

For the longest time, I’ve been thinking about developing a recipe for pumpkin whoopee pies. Finally, it happened. This recipe for Chocolate Dipped Pumpkin Whoopie Pies is every pumpkin and chocolate lover’s dream come true! October- the month that throws all caution to the wind regarding pumpkin treats! One of the things I love about… Read More

Everyone loves festive 4th of July Desserts and Patriotic Fruit Pizza tops the list of our favorite way to celebrate the 4th! We love to gather with family and friends, eat, play, and end the day with a few of our favorite 4th of July desserts. This Patriotic Fruit Pizza is easy to put together… Read More

4th of July is one of my favorite holidays of the year! It doesn’t get much better than parades and fireworks and of course, all the good food. Pancake breakfasts, dinners on the BBQ, eating pie while watching fireworks. Sounds so dreamy right? Up your game this year with some new crowd pleasing recipes. Our … Read More

Father’s Day is a great food holiday at our house. There is always some type of grilling, a yummy salad, and of course an easy and delicious dessert. Pie or cake usually. Whatever makes Dad happy! We love our dads so let’s treat them to a special meal on their special day. Scroll through this… Read More

I love when Memorial Day rolls around because that means it’s the start of SUMMER! And summer means BBQs, family time, pool days, and hikes in our beautiful Utah mountains. You’re not going to want to miss this roundup of all of my favorite recipes perfect for a summer BBQ with friends and family. These… Read More

Looking for something that will really impress Mom this Mother’s Day? If you enjoy a little something on the sweeter side, then you’ll LOVE this Cookie Butter and Nutella Bread Pudding! It’s so easy to throw together and will make any holiday or occasion special. The perfect pair I love a good bread pudding! Cookie… Read More

This Easter Recipe Roundup with satisfy all of your Easter brunch and dinner cravings! I’ve rounded up some of our favorite recipes for this special Sunday in one post. Get ready to PIN everything for quick and easy reference… Nothing says Easter quite like a beautiful Ham with Pineapple Glaze. This recipe is the easiest… Read More

One taste of this Instant Pot Steel Cut Oats and Grains recipe and you’ll want to eat oatmeal every day! Steel cut oats traditionally take a long time to cook and require a lot of attention while on the stovetop, but this recipe for Instant Pot Steel Cut Oats takes the hassle out of cooking… Read More

For the past several years, I’ve hosted a cookie exchange with my dear friend Melinda. This year, we changed it up a bit and asked our friends who participate in the exchange to donate homemade cookies to The Road Home, a local shelter for families. Our Light the World Cookie Exchange was a huge hit with… Read More

Years ago, way back in the 90’s, my friend Carolee gave me this recipe for Cranberry Cake with Caramel Sauce. It’s perfect for giving to friends and neighbors, or for having on hand for when unexpected holiday guests stop by! Cranberry Cake with Caramel Sauce is a versatile one bowl, mix and bake recipe. It… Read More

Dressing doesn’t have to be complicated or filled with expensive ingredients to be delicious. This Meatless Cornbread Dressing is a quick and easy fix if you’re looking for something scrumptious to accompany your holiday turkey or ham! This Meatless Cornbread Dressing consists of a few ingredients and about 5 minutes of sautéing and tossing together…. Read More

Every Easter and Christmas, my mom topped her ham with a Pineapple Brown Sugar Ham Glaze. I can’t imagine eating holiday ham any other way! After baking ham for years, I’m going to share a few tips for the perfect holiday baked ham. The holidays would not be the same without my Mom’s ham and Pineapple Brown… Read More

Peanut Butter Blossoms are classic Christmas cookies. Found on every Christmas cookie tray in America, this cookie is one I’ve made several times, but never posted. I’ve tweaked it over the years to be one little bite of peanut butter and chocolate candy perfection! History lesson The Peanut Butter Blossoms recipe was developed back in… Read More

The days of making mashed potatoes on the stove top are behind us! This Instant Pot Mashed Potato Recipe is my favorite way to make mashed potatoes in minutes and keep warm until ready to serve, all in one pot! There are so many uses for the Instant Pot from making one-pot dinners to cooking… Read More

Best Basic Flaky Pie Crust is absolutely the most simple pie crust recipe ever! I have been making pie crust for over 35 years. I’ve made hundreds of pies, and this recipe is hands down the best AND easiest pie crust on the planet. With a few ingredients, you will become a pie crust master…. Read More

Sour Cherry Pie with Lattice Crust is a cherry pie lover’s dream! This pie is made with sour cherries and flavored only with a little bit of almond (or vanilla), sugar and a dash of salt. I can’t get enough of this tart and sweet pie! I remember my mom singing this song in her… Read More

Apple, Sausage and Herb Stuffing has been a family recipe for as long as I can remember. This was always the highlight of Thanksgiving for me as a child, and 55 years later, it is still a staple on our Thanksgiving table! If I had to pick only one food item to eat for Thanksgiving… Read More

Do you love Halloween Cookies, but don’t have time for all of the steps involved in making traditional sugar cookies? Pumpkin Spice Swig Sugar Cookies will put the fun back into your Halloween baking! Make, scoop, bake and frost. Beautiful sugar cookies in less than an hour start to finish! If you’re a fan of… Read More

I have always struggled with getting caramel apples right. I’ve solved that problem once and for all and want to share all of my tips and tricks with you for making perfect Black Caramel Apples for Halloween! Last week, my friend Heidi gave me a slice of a Black Caramel Apple she purchased . It… Read More

Looking for a fun way to celebrate Cinco de Mayo and avoid spending a small fortune eating out? Gather everyone in the kitchen and get the fiesta started making Family Style Chicken Tostadas! 5 reasons you’re going to love ABK’s recipe for Family Style Chicken Tostadas: 1. Instant Pot Strikes again -The chicken is cooked… Read More

Overnight Chile Eggs is a simple breakfast dish that’s not just for holidays any more! This recipe is easy to put together and bake for breakfast, or even dinner on weekdays. Not just for special occasions! Once upon a time, overnight breakfast casseroles were saved for special occasions or weekend brunch. Typically made of white… Read More